Monday, September 24, 2012

Proudly
made in Canada for over 50 years, Canada Goose is committed to
producing the best extreme weather outerwear in the world. Founded in
1957, the company grew from making a small number of down jackets
sold in local shops to a global brand sold in over 40 countries.

Canada
Goose products have long been considered a survival tool by
scientists, explorers, and outdoor enthusiasts. From South Pole
research facilities and the Canadian High Arctic to the streets of
New York City, Paris, Los Angeles, Stockholm, Milan, Toronto, Tokyo,
and Berlin people wear their products not only because of their
reputation for authenticity but for more for their best quality,
functional and iconic styling.

Their
outerwear collection is born from purpose and function. Every single
element is crafted to meet the demands of those who know what the
term „extreme“ really means.

Canada
Goose is proud to have kept the production at home in Canada because
they are committed to outstanding craftsmanship and believe that it’s
critical for the integrity and authenticity of the brand and for the
quality of their products.

Their
signature down-filled parkas are produced by their own facilities in
Toronto, Winnipeg, and by Canadian manufacturers Canada Goose has
trained to meet their extremely tough quality control standards.

Canada
Goose supports Polar Bears International (PBI) that is a non-profit
organization dedicated to conserving the world’s polar bears
through research and education. Canada Goose shares the important
goal with PBI to save the habitat of the world’s polar bears, by
raising awareness about climate change and the effect it has on these
threatened species.

Canada
Goose developed and provides an official Polar Bears International
Expedition parka for the organization’s board members, scientists
and other high profile supporters.

14
oz. Berlin is proud to offer these beautiful PBI royal blue parkas
and jackets which are exclusively available at selected retail
locations. A portion of proceeds from each sale goes to support PBI,
and consumers will have the unique opportunity to become a member of
PBI association. http://www.polarbearsinternational.org

The
original extreme weather Expedition Parka, developed for scientists
working in Antarctica's McMurdo Station, are worn by scientists and
researchers working to save the habitats of the planets’ polar
bears.

This
women’s Expedition Parka for Polar Bears International retains all
the features of the original Expedition Parka, and is available in
the signature PBI royal blue and includes a PBI Arctic Ambassador
badge.

The
PBI version of the Women's Chilliwack Bomber features PBI’s Arctic
Ambassador badge and signature royal blue colour, maintaining all the
warmth and style as the Canada Goose classic.

CANADA
GOOSE ARCTIC PROGRAM FOR MEN

SNOW
MANTRA 9501M, sizes: S, M, L, price: 1.499,90 Euro

Arguably
the most famous and warmest parka from Canada Goose, with a unique
insulated throat-latch for severely cold weather, developed for
industrial or commercial work in the coldest regions on earth.

colours: forest, navy, red A
Canada Goose classic in a bomber-style design, the Chilliwack Parka
has a robust down fill-weight that has kept arctic pilots warm for
many seasons.

CITADEL
PARKA 4567M, sizes: S, M, L, XL, price: 869,90 Euro

colours: military green, black

Resembling
the iconic Canada Goose Expedition Parka, the Citadel parka is
slightly longer and offers a slim fit and is perfect for the urban
streets. Removable coyote fur ruff surrounding
a 2-way adjustable tunnel hood (horizontally and hood opening), with
an adjustable bracing wire for superior protection in high-wind
conditions.

LANGFORD
PARKA 2062M, sizes: S, M, L, XL, price: 789,90 Euro

colours: black, forest An
urban piece within the Arctic line, the Langford was designed due to
the success of the family members which it closely resembles; the
Chateau Parka and the Banff Parka. This style is slightly longer than
the others and offers a clean look. Removable
coyote fur ruff surrounding a removable 1-way adjustable tunnel hood
(vertically). Two interior pockets: top left security pocket with
zipper closure, and lower drop-in pocket.

A
classic, durable, well-insulated fall or winter down vest.
Hip-length, but cut longer in the back for more
protection from cold and wind. Unique, triple-function pockets,
including two fleece-lined handwarmer pockets, two large drop-in
pockets and two small drop-in pockets. One interior pocket is secured
with a Velcro closure.

CANADA
GOOSE ARCTIC PROGRAM FOR WOMEN

SNOW
MANTRA 9501L, sizes: S, M, price: 1.499,90 Euro

Modelled
entirely off of the original men’s version, which is famously known
as the warmest jacket on earth, the ladies Snow Mantra encompasses it
all but takes into consideration the women’s silhouette.

colours: spirit, military green, black Designed
to flatter a women’s form, with a slightly synched waist, the
Trillium design has a removable hood and removable coyote fur for a
fashionable, yet warm jacket.

CHILLIWACK
BOMBER 7950L, sizes: S, M, L, price: 659,90 Euro

colours: black, military green, white A
Canada Goose classic in a bomber-style design, the Women’s
Chilliwack bomber has a robust down fill-weight that has kept womens
around the world warm for many seasons. The Bomber-length
provides exceptional mobility. It features heavy-duty
rib-knit cuffs and waistband, storm flap over centre-front zipper
secured with buttons, and one interior security pocket.

MYSTIQUE
PARKA 3035L, sizes: S, M, L, price: 949,90 Euro

colours: black, caribou, navy For
a winter right on the town, this calf-length, quilted parka with a
removable hood and a removable coyote fur ruff, is insulated with
white duck down for the greatest warmth-to-weight ratio.

MONTEBELLO
PARKA 2530L, sizes: S, M, L, XL, price: 679,90 Euro

colours: navy, military green, red A
versatile parka, the Montebello offers just the right amount of
coverage. It features military button detailing along the centre
front flap and pockets, exuding the Canada Goose style. Interior
shoulder straps allow you to carry the parka like a backpack when out
of the elements. Adjustable waist from the inside, with an elastic
drawcord. Fleece lined chin guard for more comfort. Two inside
pockets; the right inside security pocket has a zipper closure and
the left pocket has an additional internal stretchable pocket for
cell phone or MP3 player with a headphone access opening.

Please
notice that all Canada Goose jackets turn out one size lager than European
clothing sizes!

You are welcome to
order by phone or E-mail. Please don't hesitate to contact us with
individual requests or if you have any questions regarding availability
or sizes.store@14oz-berlin.com+49 (0)30 280 40 514Mon. – Sat., 11 a.m. – 08 p.m.

Thursday, September 20, 2012

The Munson Boot, the first collaboration between Nigel Cabourn and Red Wing Shoes. Here comes the full story:

It all began when Nigel came across some vintage British Army combat boots from World War I. The boots
were in excellent condition - it was hard to believe that they were almost 100 years old - and they captivated him.
He felt an intense desire to replicate those boots, carefully made to exacting quality standards in order to
withstand the punishment they would endure, in today’s boots.

When he thought about which shoemaker could create the boots, carrying on and maximizing the aesthetic
virtues of those combat boots, one company came immediately to his mind: Red Wing Shoes. Red Wing stands for using
traditional methods to manufacture high quality shoes for American work sites, offering extraordinary durability paired with excellent comfort.

Although working in different fields, both Nigel and Red Wing have delved into the heritage of their respective fields for many years, shining a light on them, and paying particular attention to both detail and overall
quality. Sharing this common approach, they felt deep respect for each other. This mutual respect has led to
a close relationship between them, with both brands for example sharing some sales networks and showrooms in Europe. However, due to Red Wing’s flagship product based strategy, it never blossomed into a collaboration until now!
Nigel’s passion about this project led Red Wing to engage in a joint collaboration of an unprecedented level
for the shoemaker.

The most notable feature of the Munson Boot, produced as a collaboration between Nigel Cabourn and Red
Wing, is the shoe last. These boots are made using Munson Lasts, which haven’t been used by Red Wing
since the late 1960s.

While Professor of Military Hygiene at the Army Service School in Washington in 1912, Dr. Munson designed a last for infantry boots, known as the “Munson Last.” Over the course of 4 years, he studied the
feet of some two thousand soldiers, and the fitting of many thousands of pairs of shoes. The result was the
Munson Last. It was adopted as the official last of military boots for many years thereafter, and is still used
today for some military boots

The most prominent feature of the Munson Last is the shape of its toe, which is built to follow the line of the
tips of the toes. This last produces a spacious area from the center of the toes to the big toe, avoiding the tight
squeezing of the toes. This shape prevents problems caused by incorrect shoe fits, such as bunions or hammer
toes. Furthermore, the Munson Last minimized the toe length as much as possible to eliminate dead space, as
this would require an extra sole, inner sole, and upper leather material. Eliminating dead space resulted in
reduced shoe weight. Rather than striving for aesthetic appeal, the Munson Last was carefully designed with
the goal of protecting soldiers’ feet, and offering overall the needed functionality.

Red Wing, which manufactured military boots in World Wars I & II, had its own Munson Last factory, and
used these lasts for its work boots as well. For both work boots and military boots, the priority is the protection of the wearer’s feet. This is why military boot Munson Lasts were widely accepted by workers, and used
in many work boots. In Red Wing’s 1928 catalog, over half of its work boots were made using Munson Lasts,
including the long selling Red Wing classic Billy Boots. However, by the end of the 1960s, the Munson Last
was no longer being used in boot manufacturing. This collaboration with Nigel marks the first time that the
Munson Last has been used in Red Wing’s factories in over five decades. The use of the Munson Last is an
extremely important aspect of this collaboration, prompting Nigel and Red Wing to decide to call these boots
“Munson Boots”.

The Munson Boot has other unique features, in addition to their lasts. They feature army green Harris tweed lining selected by Nigel himself. Harris tweed has some extremely
well-defined characteristics, evaluated highly the world over, but unfortunately often only its appearance is
discussed. One of the key traits of this fabric is that kemp is intentionally woven into it. Some articles state
that this is to give it a “coarse feel”, but that isn’t, strictly speaking, the case. True, it does lend the fabric
a rustic appearance, but ‘beautility’ came after the fact. The main reason kemp is woven in, is for durability. Kemp is difficult to dye, and resistant to fulling. This prevents piling, and the fiber drop-out it causes.

The nature of the blackface wool and kemp’s special characteristics work in tandem to dramatically increase
abrasion resistance, making the fabric itself durable. They are responsible for the durability that lets clothes
made with Harris tweed last through generations. This is one of the reasons that traditional British Harris
tweed was chosen for the lining, which experiences even more wear than the garment

The midsoles use full vegetable-tanned leather for outsoles. This has been combined with Red Wing’s original chemigum cork sole in a sturdy, two-layer outsole construction.
Red Wing’s subsidiary tanner has created the upper leather used in the boots, to be as close as possible to
the actual vintage British Army boots Nigel owns. The leather is an oiled roughout leather. Roughout leather
is a leather which is used with the flesh side facing out. Switching the direction of the leather ensures that
even if the rough exterior is scratched, the grain will remain unbroken, which results in superior waterproofing. The choice to use roughout leather came not from an aesthetic design standpoint, but from consideration of the heavy duty outdoor use the boots would see.

Army green was also selected for the eyelets. The eyelets are the largest of those normally used by Red
Wing. This is because they must accommodate especially thick shoelaces. The deep green leather shoelaces,
which match both the lining and eyelets, are thick and sturdy, and have passed Red Wing’s work site durability test.

These durability tests demand far greater levels of durability than those offered by natural materials such as
leather and cotton, and normally can only be passed by synthetic fibers such as nylon. Nonetheless, amazingly, the extrathick leather shoelaces selected by Nigel passed these tests. However, this means that it
takes some time to break in the shoelaces so that they can be easily tied. (The boots are
delivered with two pairs of laces, one as described from leather, the
other ones are the regular round Red Wing Shoe laces.)

With the Munson Boot, a fusion of Nigel’s deep knowledge of the military, work, and outdoor fields, and Red
Wing’s over 100 year old heritage, Nigel has truly brought out Red Wing’s full potential.

In closing, here is a small digression. Doctor Munson was dispatched to Japan as the leader of the American medical relief unit after the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923. The efforts of his team in the devastated
Tokyo area resulted in the rescue of countless survivors. In recognition of these accomplishments, he was
decorated with the Order of the Red Cross by the Japanese government. He continued on to create a great
legacy during World War II, and was decorated by the British Army as well.

Watch the you tube video with Gabor Magyar (Red Wing Heritage) and Nigel Cabourn with many further details about the Munson boot:

The Munson Boots from Red Wing Shoes in collaboration with Nigel Cabourn are limited to 2.200 pairs worldwide.

You are welcome to
order by phone or E-mail. Please don't hesitate to contact us with
individual requests or if you have any questions regarding availability
or sizes.store@14oz-berlin.com+49 (0)30 280 40 514Mon. – Sat., 11 a.m. – 08 p.m.